The Mahanga Bay Wharf site survey has been completed
and a report published. The following 1993 account by MAANZ Founding
President David Churchill describes the buildup
to the project and the aims that were set out. It took some years to
complete this project but it stands as a tribute to the many MAANZ
members and friends who committed time to it.

Project Description

The site of a dismantled wharf in Mahanga Bay in
Wellington Harbour was the site of the Association's first survey.
This site was proposed as I had dived there before and knew that
there were some remains of the wharf, bottles and a variety of
other artefacts which could be recovered to give us some experience
in conservation techniques. The wharf lies in the centre of a
sheltered bay with a depth of around 8m at high tide. This would
enable us to dive in almost any weather and gain experience in
underwater survey techniques.

It was not until archival research of this site was begun
that it was realised that the wharf may have been built around
1885 to 1886. This
period coincides with the construction
of Fort Ballance which was constructed as part of Wellington Harbour's
defences. (Public Work Files, PW231 118 and PW 2316, National
Archives, Wellington)

Fort Ballance is located on an isolated part of the coast and,
at the time of construction, road access was very poor. It is
my belief that the wharf was built prior to the fort, to supply
building materials for the fort's construction and later supply
the fort with arms, munitions and general supplies. The plans
and contracts for the wharf were apparently destroyed and the
earliest date we have found that mentions the wharf is 31 October
1887.This report states that a vessel named Despatch damaged
the wharf while trying to berth.

Other dates located are:
1888 Vessel named Ellen Ballance damaged the wharf and
the Public Works Department (PWD) requested the owners of the
vessel to effect the repairs.
1905 PWD signed a contract with McKechnie and company, Wellington
contractor for extensions to the wharf.
1917 Electric lighting installed to the wharf.
1924 Request from the Defence Department to the PWD for the installation
of a tramline for the safe transfer of munitions from the wharf
to the fort.
Up until 1945 extensive works were carried out in the bay and
on the wharf.

By 1962 the wharf had fallen into a bad state of repair. Various
complaints were made as to the safety of the wharf and it was
not until a two-year-old boy fell through the
dilapidated decking that the decision
was made to dismantle the wharf. This was done by the Navy and
the Army Department using 610 m of Cortex and bulk explosives.
The demolition was completed on 16 October 1962.

As the wharf was in use in 1887, this brings the site of the wharf
under the protection of the Historic Places Trust. With this in
mind, a preliminary report was submitted to the Historic Places
Trust, Department of Conservation, Wellington Regional Council
and Raymond Ahipene-Mercer who represents the descendant of the
last Maori occupants of the area, to obtain permission to undertake
an underwater survey. The site has not yet been given an Historic
Places Trust classification, but we have gained permission to
undertake an underwater survey. From photographs of the wharf,
we have been able to estimate the size of the area to be surveyed.
This will be an area of 25 metres by 25 metres. A baseline will
be set from the remains of the wharf buttress and with the method
known as 'trilateration' we aim to locate each of the stumps of
the piles. With these measurements we will then have an accurate
dimension for the wharf.

Conservation
All artefacts recovered from the site will be taken to the onsite
conservation laboratory, where each artefact will be logged, identified,
photographed and the 'first-aid' treatment started. On the completion
of each day the artefacts will be taken to our conservation laboratory
where a full conservation treatment will be started. Each artefact
recovered will be treated using the latest conservation techniques.
The conservation of the artefacts will be under the supervision
of Jack Fry, who, as previously stated, is a MAANZ member and
is the retired Conservation Officer of the National Museum Wellington.

Summary of the Mahanga Bay Wharf survey
The principle aims of the survey of the Mahanga Bay
wharf site are to gain
practical experience in survey and conservation techniques; to
measure and date the wharf’s construction., and determine the
identity and origin of the timbers used in the construction. Further
research has yet to be done in the National Archives and at the
Wellington Maritime Museum where they are about to make their
archives open to the public.On the completion of the underwater survey we will be writing
a comprehensive report which will be made available to the public
through libraries and when the artefacts have been conserved they
will be put on display.

Conclusion
Although the Maritime Archaeological Association of New Zealand
is in its infancy, we have the contacts in New Zealand and Australia
through which we will gain experience and be able to contribute
to New Zealand's maritime heritage.

Once New Zealanders can see the result of our efforts, I am sure
that we will gain their interest and support and more divers will
join our Association which will enable us to establish subgroups
throughout the county. We will then be in a position to control
and direct maritime archaeology in New Zealand, factors
Mr. Jim McKinlay,
Senior Archaeologist for the New Zealand Historic Places Trust,
said are lacking.